Welcome!
(If you've been here before, skip right on down to the music for this weekend! If you're new, here's a little introduction!)
Here you will find music for at-home musical worship. You can listen to a piano prelude that will help you to enter into a spirit of worship. And then . . . the singing begins!
You'll find simple piano accompaniments for each hymn that will help you to sing with joy. Each hymn has been transposed downward: no need to fear the high notes! You'll also find Bible verses that thematically relate to (or directly inspired) the lyrics as well as historical background about each hymn. Some songs may be new to you, so the printed music might be helpful: you'll also find links to recordings of the hymns with singing so that you can get a feel for the melody. At the end of each week's post, you'll hear a piano postlude intended to send you forth with a refreshed and renewed spirit!
The lyrics and Scripture are beautiful to meditate upon all on their own. Most historical hymns were written first as poems, and it can be meaningful to read or speak the lyrics. I've provided the lyrics for the hymn-based prelude and postlude selections so that you can read them while you listen to the solo piano arrangements.
If you would like to hear any of your favorite hymns from past "Notes of Glory" posts again, here is an alphabetical list, with each hymn linked to the post where it first appeared (dating back to the very first post on March 22, 2020).
Complete "Notes of Glory" Song List
IF YOU ARE LISTENING/VIEWING ON A MOBILE DEVICE/TABLET:
If given an option on your mobile device, click "LISTEN IN BROWSER" (rather than "Play on SoundCloud") on the audio player windows so that you stay on this page and can sing along using the printed lyrics.
PRELUDE
(to help you prepare to worship)
Morning Prayer
Piano solo by Matt Schinske
Psalm 88:13
But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.Psalm 143:8
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
Back in April I shared a prelude called "Morning Prayer" by composer Richard Blake. Today's equally contemplative and lyrical prelude is also titled "Morning Prayer" but is by a different composer: Matt Schinske, a concert pianist, arranger, composer, and organist.
HYMNS FOR YOU TO SING AT HOME
O Worship the King
Words by Robert Grant. Music composed by Joseph Martin Kraus (in William Gardner's Sacred Melodies)
Psalm 104:1-9
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind;
he makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire.
He set the earth on its foundations,
so that it should never be moved.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they might not again cover the earth.
Daniel 7:13-14
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
_____________________________
Inspired by Psalm 104, this poetic call to praise exalts God as our King, Shield, Defender, Maker, Redeemer, and Friend, and the Ancient of Days. Natural imagery in the hymn reflects God's creative power and the lyrics use both third-person language that describes God's glory as well as more personal words directly addressing God ("thy" and "thee").
Sir Robert Grant (1779-1836) who wrote the poem "O Worship the King" was a British lawyer and politician who won a seat in Parliament at the age of 29. He was a devout Christian and was "conspicuous for piety, philanthropy, integrity, and statesmanship" (Edwin Hatfield, The Poets of the Church, 1884). In his spare time, Grant wrote hymns including "O Worship the King" that were posthumously collected and published by his brother, Lord Glenelg, in a volume titled Sacred Poems. This collection of Grant's poetic works was first printed in 1833 with later editions following in 1839, 1844, and 1868 (you can see "O Worship the King" as it appeared in the 1868 edition here). Another beautiful hymn by Grant that appears in the same collection and poetically depicts the life of Christ from birth to Resurrection is "Savior, When in Dust to Thee, Low We Bow the Adoring Knee."
"Lyons," the hymn tune matched here with "O Worship the King," was traditionally attributed to Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn or his younger brother, Johann Michael Haydn, but contemporary research has revealed that it was actually composed by German-Swedish composer Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792). Another hymn tune often matched with "O Worship the King" is "Hanover" by organist William Croft (1678-1727) who also wrote the tune "St. Anne" which is frequently combined with Watts' "O God, Our Help in Ages Past."
If this hymn is new to you, here is a wonderful recording of "O Worship the King" with congregational singing and organ/brass instruments.
O worship the King, all glorious above,
and gratefully sing His power and His love;
our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.
O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space!
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is His path on the wings of the storm.
Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail:
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.
Just as I am
Words by Charlotte Elliot. Music by William Bradbury
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
John 6:37
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
______________________________
The composer of over 150 hymns, Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871) was born in Clapham, England and enjoyed a happy early life, sketching portraits and writing humorous verse. As she entered her thirties, her health began to decline, and she was an invalid for the rest of her life. Her emotional health suffered, as did her faith.
Kenneth Osbeck tells the story behind "Just As I Am" in his book 101 Hymn Stories.
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space!
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is His path on the wings of the storm.
Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail:
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.
Just as I am
Words by Charlotte Elliot. Music by William Bradbury
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
John 6:37
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.______________________________
The composer of over 150 hymns, Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871) was born in Clapham, England and enjoyed a happy early life, sketching portraits and writing humorous verse. As she entered her thirties, her health began to decline, and she was an invalid for the rest of her life. Her emotional health suffered, as did her faith.
Kenneth Osbeck tells the story behind "Just As I Am" in his book 101 Hymn Stories.
In 1822 a noted Swiss evangelist, Dr. Caesar Malan, visited the Elliott home in Brighton, England. His visit proved to be a turning point in Charlotte's life. In counselling Miss Elliott about her spiritual and emotional problems, Dr. Malan impressed upon her this truth, "You must come just as you are, a sinner, to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Throughout the remainder of her life, Miss Elliott celebrated every year the day on which her Swiss friend had led her to a personal relationship with Christ, for she considered it to be her spiritual birthday. Although she did not write her text for this hymn until 1838, fourteen years after her conversion experience, it is apparent that she never forgot the words of her friend, for they form the very essence of this hymn.
The Swiss minister and hymn writer Henri Abraham César Malan (1787-1864) referenced in this account was previously featured here on Notes of Glory as the composer of the tune for "Take My Life, and Let it Be."
One tune commonly matched with "Just As I Am" (and used in the music below) is titled "Woodworth" and was composed by the American gospel musician and composer William Bradbury (1816-1868) who also wrote the music for "He Leadeth Me," "Jesus Loves Me" and "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less."
"Just As I Am" was used extensively for altar calls during Billy Graham's crusades: here is a short montage of some of these moments. And here's Mahalia Jackson's majestic interpretation of this gospel classic.
Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidd'st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
I Love to Tell the Story
Words by Katherine Hankey, Music by William G. Fischer
Psalm 66:16
Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
One tune commonly matched with "Just As I Am" (and used in the music below) is titled "Woodworth" and was composed by the American gospel musician and composer William Bradbury (1816-1868) who also wrote the music for "He Leadeth Me," "Jesus Loves Me" and "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less."
"Just As I Am" was used extensively for altar calls during Billy Graham's crusades: here is a short montage of some of these moments. And here's Mahalia Jackson's majestic interpretation of this gospel classic.
Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidd'st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
I Love to Tell the Story
Words by Katherine Hankey, Music by William G. Fischer
Psalm 66:16
Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
John 15:27
And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
______________________________
"I Love to Tell The Story" overflows with the joy of evangelism. The author of this hymn, Arabella Katherine Hankey (1834-1911), lived the words she wrote. As a young woman, she organized Sunday School classes in London and later worked as a missionary and nurse in South Africa, serving along with her brother. Her family was involved in the "Clapham Sect," an influential association of London evangelical philanthropists who invested heavily in spreading the gospel through their time, finances, and talents. (Well-known members of this group in its earlier years included William Wilberforce who along with Hannah More and Thomas Clarkson fought for the abolition of the slave trade in England and throughout the world).
______________________________
"I Love to Tell The Story" overflows with the joy of evangelism. The author of this hymn, Arabella Katherine Hankey (1834-1911), lived the words she wrote. As a young woman, she organized Sunday School classes in London and later worked as a missionary and nurse in South Africa, serving along with her brother. Her family was involved in the "Clapham Sect," an influential association of London evangelical philanthropists who invested heavily in spreading the gospel through their time, finances, and talents. (Well-known members of this group in its earlier years included William Wilberforce who along with Hannah More and Thomas Clarkson fought for the abolition of the slave trade in England and throughout the world).
Like Charlotte Elliott, Katherine Hankey was struck by serious illness at the age of 30. During her recovery, she wrote an extended poem on the subject of the life of Christ, which consisted of two main sections titled "The Story Wanted" and "The Story Told." Hankey's other well-known hymn 'Tell Me the Old, Old Story" is derived from the first section of this nearly-100 stanza poem, and "I Love to Tell the Story" comes from the second section. Hankey did write her own music for these texts, but the hymns remained unknown until musician and inventor William H. Doane (1832-1915) heard them recited at an 1867 YMCA convention in Montreal, Canada and composed settings for both texts. Some years later, a new setting for "I Love to Tell The Story" was composed by Philadelphia piano dealer and musician William G. Fischer (1835-1912) who also added the refrain: it is this version that we are familiar with today. The combination of Hankey's text and Fischer's tune first appeared together in the 1875 published collection Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs, edited by Philip Bliss and Ira Sankey.
If this hymn is new to you, here is a recording by the gospel group "The Chuck Wagon Gang" (this ensemble was formed in 1935).
Refrain:
I love to tell the story
of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory,
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story
because I know 'tis true;
it satisfies my longings
as nothing else could do.
Refrain:
I love to tell the story;
'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.
Refrain:
 |
| Public domain. Courtesy of Hymnary.org |
I love to tell the story
of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory,
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story
because I know 'tis true;
it satisfies my longings
as nothing else could do.
Refrain:
I love to tell the story;
'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story;
more wonderful it seems
than all the golden fancies
of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story,
it did so much for me;
and that is just the reason
I tell it now to thee. [Refrain]
I love to tell the story;
'tis pleasant to repeat
what seems, each time I tell it,
more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story,
for some have never heard
the message of salvation
from God's own holy Word. [Refrain]
I love to tell the story,
for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting
to hear it like the rest.
And when in scenes of glory
I sing the new, new song,
'twill be the old, old story
that I have loved so long. [Refrain]
POSTLUDE
(So you can go out with joy!)
Rejoice! He is Lord of All!
Piano solo by Benjamin D. Knoedler (composer, pianist, and choral music editor at Majesty Music)
Psalm 32:11
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
As you listen to this upbeat postlude, feel the joy in the notes and the lilting rhythm(s)!
As you go into the next week:
more wonderful it seems
than all the golden fancies
of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story,
it did so much for me;
and that is just the reason
I tell it now to thee. [Refrain]
I love to tell the story;
'tis pleasant to repeat
what seems, each time I tell it,
more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story,
for some have never heard
the message of salvation
from God's own holy Word. [Refrain]
I love to tell the story,
for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting
to hear it like the rest.
And when in scenes of glory
I sing the new, new song,
'twill be the old, old story
that I have loved so long. [Refrain]
POSTLUDE
(So you can go out with joy!)
Rejoice! He is Lord of All!
Piano solo by Benjamin D. Knoedler (composer, pianist, and choral music editor at Majesty Music)
Psalm 32:11
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
As you listen to this upbeat postlude, feel the joy in the notes and the lilting rhythm(s)!
As you go into the next week:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)
